Bobby Rogers ’14

At the moment I am in the transition of becoming a full-time photographer. Though I majored in illustration, over the past few years I’ve gradually shifted into photography, one reason being that I’ve always enjoyed finding creative inspiration and looking at photography as work that I would most commonly emotionally react to.

What is your work about?

The majority of what I create is a personal exploration centered on the complexity of Blackness and capturing this complexity through extremely expressive portrait photography.

What inspires you?

History, art, design, futurism, music, poetry, specific plants, and food. Honestly though, inspiration often comes out of thin air. I was looking at a plant a few days back and somehow that plant helped me put together a photo concept that evolved into models having to get giant serif letters tattooed on their face. Inspiration is everywhere.

Biggest takeaway from MCAD?

Self-confidence and time management! My time management helped me be disciplined and develop my craft. I eventually became proud of the work I was creating. You have to want what’s best for you as an artist, which demands a will to want to learn when you’re not in class. You gradually learn how to nano-manage your time. It’s a powerful tool, especially starting out when many of us will be making a slow but steady step into the art world.

What advice do you have for prospective art and design students?

Basically, push yourself to be the best. Always evolve as an artist and strive to outdo yourself. If you want to get hired to create work that you love, then create a lot of personal passion projects and share them with the world. Talk to people and ask questions. And most importantly: be nice.